Colombia 3-0 Greece: Former West Ham defender scores in easy win

Goals from Pablo Armero, Teofilo Gutierrez and James Rodriguez were enough for Colombia to get the better of Greece.

Colombia kicked off their 2014 World Cup campaign with a 3-0 victory over Greece in Group C at Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte on Saturday.

The European side had the first shot of the game in the fifth minute when Giannis Maniatis saw his long-range attempt saved by goalkeeper David Ospina.

However, just seconds later, Colombia surged ahead through Pablo Armero. The 27-year-old Napoli defender, who joined Premier League club West Ham United on loan in January, shot home after being teed up by Juan Cuadrado.

Greece created a chance to equalise just two minutes later, but it was their South American opponents who dominated territory and made more attacking forays during the remainder of the first half.

James Rodriguez had a shot from outside the box saved by Greece goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis, and he came close again on 37 minutes.

The Monaco star had yet another chance to get his name on the scoresheet just four minutes into the second half, but once again he was denied by Karnezis.

Then just before the hour mark, Colombia scored their second goal when Teofilo Gutierrez turned the ball home from close range after it had fallen to him from a corner.

Subhankar Mondal

A football journalist based in Wakefield, Subhankar Mondal has previously worked for Goal.com International and Skysports.com, and has had his sports articles published in The Guardian and The Observer. He has also been on the BBC in the past and his name once found its way to the pages of the World Soccer magazine. He was recently cited in a major Louis van Gaal biography.